Woman, 36, Found Dead After Falling from Cruise Ship Off the Florida Coast
Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty
The body of a 36-year-old woman who fell from a cruise ship was recovered on Thursday morning off the coast of Florida.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the woman's body was recovered about 18 miles from the shore of Port Canaveral after she went overboard from the cruise ship MSC Meraviglia.
The ship is owned and operated by MSC Cruises, per NBC News.
The Coast Guard did not disclose the woman's identity or how she fell from the ship. CBS News reported that the Coast Guard recovered the woman's body at around 7:30 a.m.
In a statement to PEOPLE, MSC Cruises said they are working with authorities to investigate the incident.
"Early this morning, MSC Meraviglia's advanced detection systems alerted our crew to a passenger overboard while the ship was sailing to Port Canaveral," the company said. "The crew performed an immediate search and rescue operation, alongside the US Coast Guard who supported search efforts with boats and a helicopter."
"Unfortunately, despite the rapid rescue operation, the passenger sustained fatal injuries," the statement continued. "We are offering our full support to authorities as they investigate this matter. We are deeply saddened by this incident and offer our sincerest condolences to the family and those affected."
At the time of the incident, the ship was returning from the Bahamas, WFTV reported.
Footage published by the news station appeared to show dozens of passengers peering over the ship's edge to look for the woman. The video seemed to have been filmed late at night or early morning.
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"Our deepest sympathies go out to the family during this extremely difficult time and we ask for discretion as we notify the family of this tragedy," a spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard Public Affairs Detachment in Jacksonville, Florida, told CBS News in a statement.
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In November, dad James Michael Grimes fell from a Carnival cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico. The 28-year-old survived by treading water for nearly 18 hours.
